KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 -- The United States government has introduced new import duties on solar panels from Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam, accusing these countries of benefitting from Chinese subsidies and engaging in unfair pricing practices.

For Malaysia, this translates into a blanket import duty of 34.4 per cent, with certain firms facing even higher rates. However, the tariffs await approval by the US International Trade Commission, with a final decision expected by June 2.

Here's what we know about the new solar import duties so far:

How it started

The solar panel tariff is part of a pattern that began last year.

On October 1, 2024, the US imposed a nine per cent blanket tariff on solar cell imports from Malaysia, ...